A decision to rebrand and move edition five of the modern Guernsey marathon to the Town seafront into late September was inspired by this year’s Olympic Torch Relay Day.

Peter Head, race director, admitted as much yesterday, saying the Albert Pier as a finishing point and the waterfront for the start  of next year’s race on 22 September,  ‘seemed to be logical’.

Head, who revived the local marathon in 2009, said Footes Lane as a host venue had posed problems in terms of course safety, but staging the event there on an already busy August Bank Holiday weekend had  failed to pull in spectators.

‘To get more crowds at the finish, the stadium is really the wrong place,’ he said.